Process of treating molasses.



No. 790,085. PATENTBD MAY 16,'1905. I

P. DEUSY. PROCESS OF TREATINGMOLASSES.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 5, 1904.

2 SHEETSSHEBT 1,

No. 790,035. v 1 I PATENTBD MAY 16, 1905. 4 I F. DEUSYI PROCESS 01-"TREATING MOLASSES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5. 1904.

2 QEBETS-SHEET 2.

I UNITED STAT S Patented May 16, 190s.

PATENT OFFICE.

PROCESS OF TREATING MOLASSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 790,035, dated May 16,1905.

Application filed July 5, 1904. Serial No. 215,422.

To all whom it may concern:

I Be it known that I, FELIX DEUSY, a citizen of France, residing in thecity and county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have inventednew and useful Improvements in Processes of Treating Molasses, of whichthe following is a specification.

- My invention relates to the treatment of molasses by the osmoseprocess.

In the ordinary osmogenes used in sugar factories the molasses isintroduced into the apparatus at about 40 Baum. During treatment themolasses becomes considerably diluted, andwhen discharged the osmosedproduct is about 8 Baum. Experience has dem onstrated that the osmoticpower in the osmogenes decreases in about the same ratio that thedensity of the molasses decreases.

The object of the present invention is to produce a comparatively highminimum density, and consequently a high osmose in the molasses duringthe osmose period, and thereby eifect at a single operation theelimination of a larger quantity of salts than is possible underordinary methods and with ordinary apparatus, increase the yield ofsugar in the osmosed molasses, and decrease the quantity of sugar lostin the exosmose liquid.

Having reference to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation,partly-in section, of my osmogene. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of myapparatus for carrying out my process. Fig. 3 is a plan view ofamolasses-frame. Fig. 4 is a plan View of a water-frame.

In carrying out my invention I prefer to employ an osmogenecomposed of aplurality of molasses-frames A and a plurality of alternately assembledwater frames B, suitably supported in the press 0. The several frames(shown in details in Figs. 3 and 4:) are separated one from the other bya suitable membranous diaphragm orseptum 2 into alternating molasses andwater compartments.

The lower transverse bars of the several frames are coincide'ntlyperforated to form respective continuous molasses and water passages 34c, and the upper transverse bars are coincidently perforated to form acontinuous water-passage or to admit a water-pipe 5.

The passage 3 opens into the molasses-chambers by the orifices 6 in themolasses-frames,

and the passages or pipes f 5 open into the water-chambers throughrespective orifices 7 8 in the water-frames. Fresh water is admitted at9 to the water-induction passage 5 and to the top of the water-chambers.The eXosmose water is discharged through pipes 10 and their connectionsfrom the water-eduction pipe or passage I at the bottom of the chambers.The initial molasses or molasses to be osmosed is admitted at 11 andcaused to pass through the molasses-induction pipe or passage 3 into thebottom of the molasseschambers. The osmosed molasses passes thence in acontrary direction to the flow of the water in the water-chambers andthrough orifices 12 into the reservoir 13, formed above the top rails offrames A B and by the extensionsa b of the side rails of these frames.From this reservoir the osmosed product flows through pipe 14:, a box15, and pipe 16 into a tank 17. From this tank part of the osmosedmolasses may be forced by a centrifugal pump 18 to the waiting-tank 19on a higher level, thence to be'delivered to the vacuum-pan 20, whereinthe recovery of the sugar is effected. Another portion of the osmosedmolasses in tank 17 is sent by any suitable means, as the pump 21, totheevaporator 22, where it is concentrated to about 40 Baum. Thisconcentrated osmosed molasses is intended for use in my process.

The initial molasses, or the molasses to be osmosed, has a density ofabout 40 Baum when first admitted to'the osmogene. In its passagethrough the osmogene in an opposite direction to the water-flow in thewatercham. bers it has a tendency to become greatly diluted. As'beforestated, the more dilute a liquid such as molasses becomes the less isthe osmotic power or the power of giving up its salts by diffusionthrough the porous septa. I have found that if a portion of concentratedosmosed molasses is returned again .into reservoir 13 this returnedproduct, having a higher specific gravity than the osmosed molassesissuing from the chambers, will settle in the bottom of the reservoirand by reason of its greater density gradually work down through theorifices 12 into the molasses-chambers and appreciably increase theaverage density of the contents of these chambers-that is to say, whilethe initial molasses will have a density of 4:0 Baumordinarily theosmosed molasses passing out through orifices 12 will be so diluted asnot to have a density in ex- .cess of 8 Baum, yet by adding a certainproportion of already osmosed molasses concentrated to about 40 Baum theminimum density of the contents of the molasses-chainbers will be foundto be from 20 to 30 Baum. This minimum density will naturally depend onthe amount of concentrated osmosed molasses returned. The proportion ofthe amount returned to reservoir 13 to that passed on to thewaiting-tank 19 and thence to the evaporating-pan 20 will vary accordingto the degree of refinement or percentage of sugar extraction desired.When the apparatus is first started up, all or nearly all of the osmosedmolasses will be sent to the evaporator 22 to be returned to thereservoir until a proper average density is obtained. Thereafter it maybe said that to produce a generally uniform density of, say, 20 Baum inthe molasses-chambers from seventy to eighty per cent. of the totalamount of osmosed molasses should be concentrated and returned toreservoir 13.

By this process of avoiding or counteracting dilution during osmose I amable to remove a very much larger percentage of the salts which hindersugar crystallization than under the old method, since the greater aver'age density gives more uniform osmotic power in all parts of theosmogene. I find I can do much more Work, save a larger proportion ofthe sugar contained in the molasses, and prevent any considerable lossof sugar in the exosmose water.

The return of the concentrated osmosed m'olasses from evaporator 22 iseffected by means of a centrifugal pump 23 and a pipe 24, discharginginto a tank 25. From thence the osmosed molasses may flow by gravity andbe distributed over the tank 13 by a perforated pipe 26.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patcut, is

1. A process of osmose which consists in flowing the initial molassesand the osmosingwater in opposite directions to cause one to pass theother, and adding to the liquid undergoing osmose a part of said liquidwhich has already been osmosed and concentrated.

2. A process of osmose which consists in flowing the initial molassesand the osmosingwater in opposite directions, concentrating a portion ofthe osmosed liquid, and returning said concentrated portion to theliquid undergoing osmose.

3. A process of osmose which consists in imparting a travel in reversedirections to the initial molasses and the osmosing-water, collectingthe osmosed molasses into a reservoir, adding concentrated osmosedmolasses to the contents of the reservoir, and allow the contents of thereservoir to enter the molasseschambers to raise the mean density of themolasses undergoing osmose therein.

4. A process of osmose which consists in subjecting, in a suitableapparatus, a body of molasses to osmose in such manner that the initialmolasses enters at the bottom of the apparatus and the osmosing-waterenters at the top, passing each other in vertically and oppositelyflowing streams, and adding to the molasses undergoing osmose a suitableportion of concentrated osmosed molasses to increase the mean density ofthe osmosing molasses.

5. A process of treating molasses which consists in admitting initialmolasses or molasses to be osmosed into the bottom of themolasseschambers and admitting osmose water into the top of thewater-chambers, discharging the exosmose water through the bottom ol thewater-chambers, and discharging the osmosed molasses through suitablepassage-ways at the top of the molasses-chambers into a superincumbentosmosed-molasses reservoir, adding concentrated osmosed molasses to thecontents of said reservoir and allowing such additions to percolate intothe molasses-chambers to raise the mean density of the molassesundergoing osmose therein.

6. A process of treatingmolasses which consists in admitting initialmolasses or molasses to be osmosed into the bottom of themolasseschambers and admitting osmose water into the top of thewater-chambers, discharging the exosmose water through the bottom of thewater-chambers, and discharging the osmosed molasses through suitablepassage-ways at the top of the molasses-chambers into a superincumbentosmosed-n'iolasses reservoir, concentrating a portion of the diluteosmosed molasses in the reservoir and returning this concentratedportion to the reservoir to percolate into the molasses-chambers andthereby increase the mean density of the molasses therein undergoingosmose.

I11 testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

FELIX DEUSY.

Witnesses:

CHAS. E. TOWNSEND, S. H. NOURSE.

